Jesus’ words in Matthew 20:26–28 are at the heart of our vision of Servant Evangelism:
Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
We strengthen our testimony as a church by serving the city in big and small ways. We also celebrate when our people serve on their own.
We reach out to our community in three ways. Each has its own strengths and its own goals.
Random Act of Kindness
Overview: We bless as many people as possible, usually with a small, inexpensive, but useful or desired gift.
Goals:
- To surprise as many people as possible with grace
- To glorify Jesus by pointing to him as the source of blessing
- To let people know where they can find a church with Jesus’ love and truth
Example: Otter Pop Give-away
Relationship Builders
Overview: We create an environment where conversations can happen.
Goals:
- Serve people in a useful or desirable way
- Have many conversations
- Cultivate the beginnings of a relationship between the person and the church
Examples: Totally Free Car Wash, Leaf Raking
This is the third year Coram Deo has offered to rake people’s leaves for free. We had enough people to add another team. We had three groups displaying Jesus’ love in a practical way.
Real Needs
Overview: We meet the real needs of individuals and of our city. Serving in this way helps give weight to our testimony to our non-Christian friends.
Goals:
- To help with a real need, like hunger or taking care of the environment
- To practice the compassion of Christ
- To invite our non-Christian friends to join us in serving the community as pre-evangelism
Examples: Dinner at the Gospel Mission, Raising money for pediatric cancer, Blood Drive